Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-06-09
CHAPTER XXI.
A MESSENGER.

There is nothing perhaps more
pathetic than the sight of an empty
room. When Lord Stair, followed by
Lady Perth, went to the apartments
where the beautiful young wife spent
so much of her time, the scene was
dramatic one; seven o'clock on dark
December night; the room lighted by
the blaze of the fire and the half turned
on lamps. So many traces of beautiful
Marguerite whers she herself was no
more to be seen. The book she had
been reading lay with its face on the
table, a vase filled with winter roses
stood near an open work-boX, delicate,
dainty, almost impalpable traces of
her fair presence which went to the
hea of her husband.
Standing there with an evil light in
her eyes, an evil flush on her face, was
Lady Perth. The sight of that empty
room, of the French windows wide
open, gave her a thrill of triumph. The
cold night air comes in strong and
sweeping; it makes the flame of the fire
flicker, IL touches even the steady flame
of the lamp, aud the first words Lord
StBlr uttered as entered the room, were.
"Why are those doors open ~ He
did not know that the light of his life
had passed out through them forever
more.
Lady Perth guessed why the cold
night air came in. why the lamps were
lowered. why the room was empty, and
her heart beat. This was indeed the
hour OF her triumph. She knew by her
quick instinct that Lady Stair had left
the house by this way.
How many hundreds of years have
passed since the voice of king was
heard in his palace halls, crying out
with woe never equaled: "Mariamne,"
and his cry was unanswered. So now
with Lord Stair.
marguerite - he cried, and his voice
was so full of pain, there was such a
wonder of anguish in it, that the cold,
proud woman, standing by, was struck,
marguerite ~ he cried again, The
sweep OF the wind, the flicker of the
flames, seemed to answer him. No
other voice replied.
"The room is as cold as DEATH" he
said with shudder, and going to one
of the lamps, he raised the light.
There it lay, the letter written and
folded so short time since. directed
in his wife's handwriting to himself.
He took il up; he was strong man
and brave man, but hls hands trem-
bled and his face banched. As he read,
it seemed to him that an iron hand
clutched his heart and held it still. AS
he read. the blood grew cold in his
veins. the half-formed words died on
his lips.
IL have left you forever. You will
hear the story when | am gone. 1t
seems to me useless to speak of my inno-
nj i'm AO,a "a
as you will Heaven knows! Good
bye. Thank you for all your love and
kindness. [ would rather be tortured
to death than go through the Divorce
Court There is no help for me. Good
bye. MARGUERTrE"
Once, twice, thrice he read that fatal
letter. then it fell from his nerveless
hands to the ground. Lady Perth
stopped to raise it, and read the lines
as she did so.
"You see," she said, gently. 81 was
right. [ do not wish to triumph over
you, but | was right"
He held out his hand with an imper-
alive gesture for silence; great drops of
agony stood on his brow, his lips were
white and parched. But Lady Perth
paid no heed: this was the hour of her
triumph. and she would abate none of it.
"This is the letter of guilty woman"
said Lady Perth, with great EN- basis,
touching the paper as she spoke with
hands that are always white and
always cold
lie looked at her, but seemed for the
moment quite incapable of speech.
at is the letter of guilty woman
Irepeat'" she said; undying hatred
shone in her cold, proud eyes as they
dwelt on the white, agonized face be-
fore her. She saw that she might
speak for some time with impunity-he
could not answer.
"She has done with him." she said:
~ have seen il all along, / feltsure it
would end in this way. You know
Douglas, that | warned you; spoke to
you often enough about 1t when he first
came here; | warned you, but you
blindly refused to see. She was so inno-
cent, so greatly to be trusted; was so
evil minded, so suspicious. At last l
forebore to warn you, seeing that only
attractel your displeasure to myself"
She might lash and sting him with
I bitter words as she would, he was
powerless to interrupt her, he stood
still with the same daZed look on his
face, his eyes Il yed on the open French
doors. whence she had passed who was
never II pass { ZEN more. She could
say what she would, he was par alyzed
with grief the lash fell unheedee. She
went to far at last
fro BE Continued